Kindness called for

by Guest Post on May 15, 2018 at 9:00am

A guest post.

As an unbiased observer of the political scene, I find it grossly unfair that National MP Judith Collins should attack our prime minister. It is equally unfair, I put it to you, that Whaleoil should publish her remarks while adding the comment, “Judith Collins should keep holding her feet to the fire.”

Are Whaleoil people not aware that our prime minister is young, a woman and heavily pregnant? These are three reasons why she should be treated by the media, by her fellow parliamentarians and by the people of New Zealand with kindness, compassion, gentleness and respect.

Anyone who has gone through the trials of pregnancy will understand why a woman should not be held to account for undertakings she has made in the weeks and months prior to her pregnancy. They will also understand how a pregnant woman can become a little testy when being verbally, if not physically, attacked in a male-dominated public forum, such as parliament. Your female readers, if indeed you have any, will certainly understand where I am coming from.

Mrs Collins criticises our prime minister for not visiting Taranaki to explain the government’s far-sighted plans for New Zealand’s oil industry. Mrs Collins is unaware, it would seem, that stress on a pregnant woman can have adverse effects on her foetus. A visit by the prime minister to Taranaki would undoubtedly be very stressful, and so too are unkind and uncalled-for attacks on her in the House of Representatives. One would have thought that Mrs Collins, a mother herself, could grasp this. It is certain that as a woman, albeit not young and not pregnant, she will have been spared many a vitriolic attack. But perhaps there have been none from Whaleoil. I am not in a position to know as I take pains to never read comments on the site.

It never seems to occur to Jacinda’s National party attackers, many of whom I am sure are Whaleoil readers, that the prime minister cannot be held personally responsible for actions by her government. David Lange, that great leader of our nation, was not held responsible for Rogernomics and neither should our current prime minister be held responsible for what her government gets up to. It is the men behind Jacinda, the men who put her where she is today, who should be held to account for any misstep the government might make.

I find it quite untenable that even a shoddy website such as Whaleoil should be so lacking in concern as to what is, and is not, seemly to publish about Jacinda Adern.

Perhaps it is asking too much but I do ask it: please show respect to a woman who is in the bloom of youth, big with child and our nation’s youngest ever prime minister.

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